It’s only February, but the state needs to prepare for the start of school in September. Where is all the money going that is raised by our taxes? Are there too many levels of administration? Are teachers trained for having full supplies of materials for a functioning classroom and finding inadequate supplies? A retired administrator told me health insurance is costly for schools. Is it too expensive to supply classrooms with materials? Do we need to have basic supplies instead of all the bells and whistles?
Last week, I was in an elementary classroom which was vibrant with color with containers full of markers and other necessary supplies. How are teachers supposed to do their jobs without supplies? And it is not fair or good policy to expect teachers to use their own money. Nor is it alright to have parents supply their children with the materials (beyond a basic pencil box and backpack), as they have already paid with their property taxes, whether homeowners or renters (the latter in their rental fees).
Last year, a niece was finally going to be a teacher, after several years of part-time college and working in a classroom. Her wish for her graduation present was money to supply her classroom with all the materials not being supplied by the school. Here enters a new teacher who does not get gifts a new college graduate would enjoy, but gifts for supplies. Too many bells and whistles in our educational system, too many levels of management and our country’s health care system needs its own revisions. It is all part of the circle — teachers without proper supplies, not affordable health care and too many layers within the educational system costing more and more money.
Kath Allen
Peterborough